Hamptons
by imnotprotectingitanymore
Summary: So what if Rick hadn't of invited Gina to the Hamptons and Kate had said yes?


**AN****: Okay, so I did already post this but deleted it as didn't think it was good enough, then I finally got around to my e-mails and realised quite a few people had alerted it/favourited it. In all honesty I was shocked! So I've re-posted it! And the next chapter should be coming in time.**

**Most of my ideas come from other fanfics I've read, if you see an idea in here that you know was yours and you'd like to be credited for it let me know and I'll add your name in here somewhere.**

**Disclaimer****: As much as I would love to own the Castle characters I do not, if I did Beckett and Castle would have gotten together in season 2/3. Also this chapter is mainly recapping 'A Deadly Game', season 2 episode 24, it is not my idea, it is written by Andrew W. Marlowe and I've borrowed it to give the story a bit of backing, I've only used snippets, so you should probably watch the whole episode. (If you haven't seen it don't read this yet unless you don't mind being spoilered!)**

**Chapter 1**

Alexis was so excited when she got the call, someone had cancelled and she was going to spend the summer at Princeton, the summer programme for high school students was the one thing Alexis really wanted to be part of and this one, brilliant, person had cancelled, last minute, allowing her this chance. Only thing was, her and her father had plans for this weekend, Memorial Day in the Hamptons, it'd become a tradition.

Rick wasn't as pleased, yeah he was happy his daughter had gotten into the programme, but this weekend, why this weekend. He'd planned the whole father-daughter vacation down to the second. The illegal fireworks, her favourite fireworks, the ones with the silver star bursts! He really wanted to enjoy this bonding time with her.

He accepted the fact she really wanted to get a head start in preparing for college, so reluctantly let her go.

* * *

><p>"It's kinda' like a tradition, y'know bonding, camp fires roasting marshmallows, telling ghost stories, sleeping late, we've done it since she was five" he was telling Beckett about their recurring 'start of summer' vacation.<p>

"Sounds nice, kinda magical actually" Kate admits.

"Yeah. You know what? You should come."

She looks at him, slightly shocked

"Oh, it's right on the ocean, there's a secluded pool, you could lay out, work on your tan" he tries to convince her it's a great idea.

"Wow, Castle you're working really hard to see me in a swimsuit."

"If you are not comfortable in a swimsuit, you can just skinny dip."

She turns her head so he doesn't catch the grin teasing the edge of her lips. She rolls her eyes at his comment.

He knows she found it funny, his slightly flirty comment, a wide pleasing grin set across his face.

* * *

><p>Rick brings her a cup of coffee, if they were a couple it'd be their good morning kiss, they both knew this on some level. He slides his phone in front of her; she looks down at it, mesmerised by the breath taking view of the beach that was set before her, the image captured everything Kate wanted for her one off vacations, a beautifully clear sea, white sand beneath her toes, and a gorgeous sun set, colours ranging from a deep red to a pale yellow.<p>

"Ocean view from my patio, it does not get much better than this."

She just stares at him for a moment.

He looks at her slightly confused and asks "What's wrong?" his eyebrows, almost joining in the centre of his head, making that cute little indent in his forehead.

She starts to talk about the case, he becomes confused at first, but then catches on to what she's rambling about. They have no leads in the case, their victim doesn't exist, and all his credit cards are fakes, even his gym membership, and his company, well that's based in the middle of the Hudson River.

* * *

><p>Beckett and Castle were deep in the case, waiting in a café for a possible suspect to appear.<p>

"This all feel a little...odd to you?"

"What?" he whispers in reply.

"The whole cloaks and daggers, secret meetings, code words… it all feels a little… old fashioned. I mean, why meet face to face when you can just send an encrypted e-mail?"

"Sometimes you just have to do things off the grid" he replies. "Speaking of 'off the grid', I was serious about this weekend."

She looks in surprise and asks "You're seriously asking me to your place in the Hamptons?"

"I promise no funny stuff, just a... friendly get away, it'll be fun."

"Yeeahh… No" she quickly replies. "Y'know some of us have to work for a living."

"On Memorial Day?" He asks, slightly surprised.

"Yes" she admits. "I spend all of my vacation days looking for a place to live."

"Shhssshhhhshshh" he interrupts her, as their suspect walks in.

* * *

><p>Rick walks into the bullpen smiling, he sees Beckett sitting on her desk, Demming at her neck. His smile disappears rapidly, he sighs.<p>

She catches a glimpse of him and pushes Demming away quickly.

"See you later." Demming tells her.

"Yeah" she replies, although it's almost a whisper.

Rick smiles at him as he passes but it's clear he despises him. He hates the fact that he's the reason that he can't be with Kate. He wants to be the one nuzzling her neck and 'seeing her later'.

As he reaches Beckett, she begins grabbing her coat, he says "didn't mean to break up your party."

"No, no party" she replies, "I was actually waiting for you, we finally got a hold of someone from spy ventures, the owners are meeting us at their offices. Oh yeah and your ex-wife called and said you've been avoiding her because you're late delivering your manuscript of… 'Naked Heat'" she pauses, catches the look in his eye and continues, "that's a catchy title, when were you gunna' tell me?"

"Well I was waiting for the perfect time, it just never happened" he stutters, partly in horror and a little shock.

"She's naked on the cover again isn't she?" Kate asks.

"Kinda, yeah" he replies.

"That's great, no one's gunna' make fun of me."

He sighs, "Oh, good."

* * *

><p>"You know it used to be if you were going to have a midlife crisis you would just buy a Ferrari, get a new girlfriend, even jump out of a plane" Kate said, staring at the murder board.<p>

"Shot in the park, money in his car, makes you wonder what else he did to get his jollies" Rick thought aloud.

"Now we know who he really is I've asked Esposito to look into his financials, maybe we'll see a red flag somewhere."

"Hmm, speaking of red flags" Rick muttered through gritted teeth, "hey… Demming" as Demming came into ear shot from behind the murder board.

"Hey… Castle" Demming replied, as Kate came to her feet and stood in front of him, he continues to tell her "hey so you know that place in Asbury I was telling you about, around the corner from our beach house?"

She nodded and 'hmmmed' in reply.

Rick was sitting close by so he could listen to their conversation.

"Well they just had a reservation open up on Friday, if we leave early enough we could probably make it" Demming continued.

"Yeah, uummm, will you let me check into it?" Kate responded.

"Great. I'll see you later" he said walking off and giving a smile to Castle on his way.

Beckett rolled her eyes and turned back to Castle.

He was sat there on the edge of her desk grinning.

"Beach house" he said, not really a statement more a question, "thought you were working this weekend" he continued.

"Yeah, I'm sorry Castle I should've just told you. I didn't want things to be, awkward between us now that Tom and I are together."

A few moments of silence passed, their eyes locked on each other's.

"No I get it" Rick broke the silence, "yeah, no; you want your private life to be private."

"Yeah" she agrees, "I just don't want anyone to feel, uncomfortable." She walks to sit at her desk.

He continues to sit in front of the murder board, staring into space contemplating what had just happened.

"No of course not, no… I mean, actually that makes what I was gunna' say a little… easier. Umm what with my book due, I was thinking it was a good time for us to take a break."

She moistened her lips and nodded "a break?" she asked.

"Yeah. God knows you gotta' be tired of me following you around all the time and, uh, I really do need to get some work done. So while I'm going I thought why not just stay up in the Hamptons, and get away from the city for a while"

"Well, for how long?" she asked, a little scared of the answer.

"The summer, at least"

She nodded, silently, trying to convince herself it was a good idea.

"I thought that this will be our last case." he decided.

The look on her face showed it all, how much she didn't want him to leave. She tried to come up with something to say but her mouth dried up.

"Hey so errr, we…" Ryan stopped as he sensed something had gone on between them.

Rick removed himself from his position on her desk and went to sit in his chair. Kate turned around on her chair to face Ryan and Esposito a look of shock and sadness on her face.

"Everything okay?" Esposito asked.

"Great" Castle replied.

"Yeah, fine" Beckett said simultaneously. "Err, what'd you guys find?" she asked trying to overcome the feelings that had just built up inside her.

As Ryan explained what they'd found Rick sat facing away from the team and was thinking to himself _'Beckett looked really shocked' _he couldn't exactly pinpoint why, but he knew she wasn't happy. He swallowed deeply.

Beckett was facing the boys but wasn't exactly listening she was completely shocked at the decision Castle had made, without even consulting her, _'he didn't need to ask me, why did I think he needed to ask me, he can do what he likes'_ she told herself, she started to chew her bottom lip, nodding along to what Espo was telling her.

"Great" she replied when he'd finished.

She looked down trying to stop any sad emotion seep through.

* * *

><p>"You actually think he was being followed?" Castle asked Beckett while she was looking at the murder board.<p>

"Well he calls at eleven thirty and then just before he is shot, his car is damaged, he runs on foot into the park; sounds to me like he was running away" she answers, "but from whom?" she ponders.

"Well as much as I'd like to run down every dark sedan in the city, I have a poker game to host" he says. "See you in the morning" he calls as he makes his way out of the precinct.

"See ya" she calls, just loud enough for him to hear.

She stands, rooted to the spot watching him leave. She turns back to the murder board, as Esposito approaches.

"So… Castles last case, huh?" he states.

"Uhmm" she nods in agreement.

"Ryan and I thought we'd do a little going away party."

"Yeah, well it's not like he's leaving forever" she sounds as though she's hoping rather than stating.

"You sure about that?" Espo asks.

She turns to look at him, the sudden feel of worry washing over her.

"Why do you think he's been following you round all this time?" he continues "what, research? The guy's done enough research to write 50 books. Look, whatever the reason is, I'm pretty sure it doesn't include watching you be with another guy." He leaves.

Kate is rooted to the spot suddenly realising she's made one huge mistake.

* * *

><p>She's at her computer finishing the paperwork from the day; she pauses, looks over to his chair, and feels a big hole inside her. She rests her head on in her palm with her elbow on the desk. She hears footsteps, half expecting Castle she looks up and sees Tom. Tom, her boyfriend the guy she'd planned to spend the weekend with. She knew he wasn't her one and done, but he was a stepping stone of getting there.<p>

"You ready?" he broke her from her train of thought.

"Yeah" she replied, slightly dazed, "yeah" she repeated.

She started to gather up her stuff, his face became confused, he knew something was up, but didn't question her, and he knew if she wanted to talk she would, he knew not to push her to tell him, maybe because on some level he knew where it'd lead them.

They left the precinct, and went for dinner at Kate's.

They arrived at her front door; she got out her key and unlocked it. She stood blocking the entrance to her apartment. Tom looked confused, she turned to face him, then he knew exactly what she was about to say, she was going to tell him something he had known for a while, but obviously she hadn't realised, he was trying to enjoy the time he had with her before she did. She was going to tell him it's all over because there's someone else, he knew exactly who this someone else was, but wasn't going to make her say it, it'd hurt him more.

"Demming" she said, not using his first name to put a distance between them, to make this easier.

He knew it was coming; she'd only ever called him 'Demming' when they first met, when they started dating it was always 'Tom'. He prepared himself for what he knew was going to happen, he tried to make himself feel better by trying to tell himself the she'd never really loved him and she'd never really been fully into the relationship, she always had one foot out the door. If anything, this hurt more.

"I don't think we're going to work out, I don't think we're going anywhere, and I think there's someone else. I'm not sure if it'll work with him but, I'm hoping and I think I'm ready to go all in with him."

'_All in with him'_ he thought _'she'd never been all in with me, she always had one foot out the door'_. He remained silent.

"Tom, say something, please." She was _begging_ him to say something, to stop her rambling, and she wasn't one for begging.

His throat was dry and he raised one hand to her cheek and used his thumb to wipe away that one escaping tear. He swallowed hard and said "I hope he makes you happy" he turned, walked towards the stair case and left.

Kate was left at her front door; she took a few steps back, shut the door and walked to the kitchen. She got out a bottle of beer, walked to the living room and slumped on the couch.

She lays there for what felt like hours. She contemplates the temptation to run off to the Hamptons with him, with Rick. She gives it a good going over, _'how would it change our relationship? Would it change our relationship? Would being out there alone be a good idea? Would they do something either of them would regret? Would she regret it?'_

She looked over at her phone and decided she should probably at least try to get some sleep tonight, but she felt horrid after the rather easy break-up she'd just had and decided quick shower was the way to go.

She walked to her bathroom, and started the water and undressed herself, and removed the little make-up she wore, the hot water causing the mirror to steam up, she was quite glad at this as she knew she didn't look her best. The dark circles under her eyes proof of her not sleeping well, her rather visible rib cage proof of her under-eating.

She put a hand under the running water to check the temperature, _'perfect' _she thought, and entered. She stood motionless for a while, just thinking.

'_Am… am I really ready? Do I want this to happen? Of course I want this to happen, but now? I don't know'_

She really wasn't sure whether she wanted to dive straight in with Rick just after she broke up with Tom. She shook her head as if to shake away the thought. She continued to wash her hair and herself, and then stepped out of the shower. She grabbed a towel and dried herself, wondered into her bedroom and put on a pair of sweat pants and a large NYPD hoodie that drowned her. She curled up on her bed and tried to get some sleep, but just kept thinking _'Am I ready? Why did Tom take so well to the fact I broke up with him?'_

Eventually she fell asleep, but only for a few hours.

* * *

><p>She was already at the precinct the next day when Castle walked in. She was perched on the edge of her desk looking at the murder board. He walked up to her.<p>

"Hey" a huge smile spread across her face, she couldn't believe what she was about to do.

"Hey" he replied.

She looked at him, he only had one cup of coffee this morning.

'_No morning kiss for me then'_ she thought.

She looked over the papers on her desk, to avoid looking him in the eye.

"Err" he started to speak not quite being able to find the right words, "I was just thinking" he gestured towards the desk as if to say can I sit down.

"Yeah" she shuffled up and gave him some room.

"I've been thinking he continued, looking at her as she bit her lower lip, "maybe we're looking in the wrong place" she looked at him completely confused, "maybe the murder has nothing to do with the game, maybe it just forwarded the killer an opportunity to act"

She sat mouth opening, and closing, trying to think of a way to respond, this was definitely something she hadn't expected to hear coming out of him this morning.

"That's so funny bec..cause" she stuttered "I was thinking the same thing when I woke up this morning" it wasn't, she had been thinking how going to the Hamptons with him would be the perfect time to explain how she felt and maybe get some perspective on what he felt, "that maybe we got so caught up in the game that we stopped looking at what really mattered" she continued.

"The victim" he said nodding along with what she was telling him.

"Exactly! So check this out" she grabbed the file from her desk and showed him what was inside.

They started building theory together stating the facts they'd uncovered, and Kate had forgotten what she'd wanted to tell him as they made a huge breakthrough in the case.

Whilst building theory the came closer and closer to each other until they were inches away, suddenly Castle pulls back and starts heading for the elevator, Beckett quickly followed, slightly mesmerised by how close she was to feeling his soft lips.

* * *

><p>"I can see why Rodger needed a little extra, fantasy in his life" explained Rick.<p>

"I talked to the wife's neighbours and a few of them remember Lee's car outside the house that night" Esposito explained whilst giving Beckett a cup of coffee.

"That doesn't mean anything, the guy runs an auto dealership could have just switched cars" argued Ryan.

Kate to a sip of her coffee, Castle watched, in horror and thought _'I forgot her coffee, shit. Esposito gave her her morning kiss, shit.'_

"True except it was a warm night, warm enough to leave the windows open" Esposito argued back.

"Oh, no" Kate exclaimed.

"Oh, yes" Esposito argued back "the next door neighbour distinctly remembers hearing the sounds of loud passionate love making coming from the open bedroom window, kept them up until well past midnight."

"I don't buy it" Castle cut in "they both had motive. They were having an affair. They knew exactly where he was, just because they had an alibi does not mean they didn't do it"

"Do you think they hired someone?" Beckett asked.

"It had all the hallmarks of a professional hit!" Castle reminded them.

"Well it couldn't have been Lee unless he asked the bankruptcy court for permission to hire a hit man and I don't think that's likely" Beckett told the team.

"And the only unusual charge in the account was the ten grand that Rodger wired to spy adventures account in the Cayman Islands" Ryan read aloud from the file.

"Ten grand?" Castle had to clarify he'd heard correctly.

"Yeah, why?" Ryan asked.

"Because he only should've paid half that much, do you remember that women at spy adventures who said about the money found in the car?" He asked Beckett.

"Yeah, that five thousand euros, was more than what he paid for his entire spy-cation" Kate replied.

"His entire bank statement says he transferred two payments of five grand each to the game for a total of ten thousand" Ryan says handing the file to Beckett so she and Castle can see it.

"The payments were made at the same time almost like he paid twice" Castle observed.

They found out their victim had paid not only for himself but another player.

* * *

><p>"So Rodger was right about being followed that night?" Captain Montgomery asked.<p>

"Well when the husband got on to the affair he did a little spy game of his own, tracked down and killed, his wife's lover" Beckett replied.

"Hmmphh, two affairs, a loveless marriage, it's sad a man had to die because all the people involved were too scared to say what they really felt" Montgomery stated.

Kate thought about this for a second, people got hurt for being too scared to tell the people they loved, that they loved them.

"Yes it is sad" she agreed.

* * *

><p>Rick started towards her, he was on the phone. <em>'Probably Gina'<em> she thought to herself.

He hung up the phone and said "Hey, I gotta' run I've got to drive Alexis to Princeton but I will be back in time for that little surprise party the boys are throwing for me. What, what?" he asked.

She was just staring taking in his face, the face that unless she told him how she felt she wouldn't see in a long time.

She just smiled and answered "nothing" shaking the thought from her head, she didn't want to think about the fact he was leaving for the summer.

"Okay" he replied a bit weary as to why her eyes were slightly wet "I'll see you." And he began heading for the lift.

She smiled to herself watching him walk out of the precinct, knowing that she was going to tell him, she was going to admit to the one person she'd never thought she'd admit it to.

Then Demming caught her eye, he was walking through the bullpen, the smile wiped from her face.

* * *

><p>Rick stood by the door holding Alexis' bags as she carried the last of them down the stairs.<p>

"Is there anything you're not bringing?" he asked.

"You" she replied, "are you sure you're going to be okay? This is the first time you've ever been alone this long" she asked.

"I'm supposed to be saying that to you and besides I might not be alone for very long" he stated.

"You invited someone?" Alexis asks.

"She said no at first but I've got a feeling she'll come around."

"Ohh, is it anyone I know?" Alexis asks.

"I don't kiss and tell" her father replied.

"Well looks like I'm not the only one getting lucky this summer" Alexis teased.

Rick dropped her bags and stared at her.

"Kidding, kidding" she protested "I'm just, I'm just kidding."

"That's not funny" Rick says whilst picking up her bags "oh that's so not funny"

* * *

><p>Ryan, Esposito, Lanie, Montgomery and Castle were seated in the break room with alcohol and finger food. Ricks leaving party, although Beckett was nowhere in sight they knew she'd be around the precinct somewhere.<p>

Rick was telling the team about dropping Alexis off.

"There were a lot of tears, but uh, Alexis was fine."

Everyone laughed.

"I gotta' say, Castle, we're gunna' miss you around here." Esposito confessed.

Ryan nodded in agreement.

"Yeah, I'm gunna' miss you too" Castle uttered.

Everyone stayed quiet with just the flick of eyes, and small smiles tugging at their lips, everyone knew who he'd miss most and she seemed to be the only person not in the room.

"But you're leaving the coffee machine though, right?" Ryan broke the silence.

"Can't have you suffering in my absence" Castle joked.

"We could really use one of those down in the morgue" Lanie hinted.

"With Castle gone I just hope our clearance rate doesn't go up" Montgomery joked. He got quite the laugh, and a rather strange but protestant noise from Castle.

Beckett walked into the break room laughing at Montgomery's previous joke.

"Ohhh, look who's off duty" Castle said.

Kate gave a hint off a laugh and opened a bottle of beer.

"Yeah well, Castle I'm not all work" she joked.

"Don't get into a drinking contest with her she can take you" Lanie warned.

"Thanks you" Castle replied.

"Oh I don't need to drink to take him" Kate informed everyone.

"Ohhhh, what's gotten into you?" Lanie asks.

"Castle do you have a second?" Beckett asks quite quietly.

"Yeah of course, yeah" he replies, getting up from the table.

She leads him out of the room and into the bullpen, leaving the rest of the team oblivious as to what she wants to talk to him about. She shuts the door behind them to stop the team from hearing.

"What's up?" Rick asks.

"Look I know that I'm not the easiest person to get to know, and… I don't always let on what's on my mind, but this past year working with you… I've had a really good time."

"Yeah me too" he cuts in.

"So I'm just going to say this, if the offer is still open then, yes I would love to."

"The Hamptons?" he asks.

"Yeah, I would love to come to the Hamptons with you for the weekend" she replies.

She can't actually believe what's happening; she's going on a small get away weekend, with Richard Castle. Richard Castle, not just her favourite author, but the author that got her though her mums death.

"Great!" he cheerily said "Are you packed because we kinda' need to leave?" he asks.

"Yeah" she points to the suitcase near her desk.

"Oh, haha" Castle replies.

He goes back into the break room grabs his coat; everyone is silent, just watching. Kate stands by the door.

"See you all on Tuesday" Kate looks at their shocked faces.

"I'll see you all in the fall" Rick says as he makes his way over to Beckett, she turns and allows him to direct her out of the Precinct with his hand on the small of her back. She's pulling along her suitcase, they step into the elevator.

"Hope you packed your itsy bitsy teenie weenie yellow polka dot bikini" he joked.

She laughed remembering the song; she hit him quite hard on the arm.

"OUCH! What was that for?" he asked grabbing is upper arm in agony.

"You've got it stuck in my head now!" she said angrily.

* * *

><p>They made their way to the town car that Rick had parked in the precinct garage. Rick took her suitcase and lifted it into the boot.<p>

"God, Kate what did you pack, this is bloody heavy!" She laughed at his comment and got into the passenger side of the car.

Kate felt her phone buzz in her pocket, she slid it out and she'd received a text from Lanie. She opened it and it read:

'Girl, you and writer boy left together, what's going on? x'

She smiled to herself, she'd forgotten to even mention to her best friend that Castle had asked her to go away with him for the weekend.

She texted back as Rick was getting into the driver's side.

"Who's that?" he asked.

"Stop being nosy!" she laughed "its Lanie if you must know."

The text she sent to Lanie read:

'He asked me to go to the Hamptons with him, I'll give you the details when I get back! x'

And with that she turned it off, not wanting any interruptions during _this_ weekend.

* * *

><p><strong>AN<strong>**: What d'yall think? Should I continue? If you have any ideas they'd be much appreciated! Even if you have some criticism, that'd be great! As I said this is my first so I'm not sure about it.**

**Reviews would be lovely, or even a PM. If you have any opinion please let me know, I kinda need help here!**

**Thanks (:**

**Shannon. **


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